Hundreds of Chinese and international tourist wholesalers were thronging the Zimbabwean stand as China International Travel Mart roared into life in Shanghai on Thursday, local newspapers reported on Friday.

So popular was the stand that Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive officer Karikoga Kaseke had nine media interviews within the first three hours of trading, while workers of the 11 exhibiting Zimbabwean companies were kept busy by mainly Chinese traders, as the Look East Policy continues to bear fruit, according to the official The Chronicle.

The Zimbabwean stand, which is artistically designed to give a purely African aura, has a multifarious array of tourist attraction posters deftly pasted on the walls of a round hut.

Kaseke said he was overwhelmed by the response especially by the Chinese tourist wholesalers and the media. "I am surprised that I had to grant nine media houses, including three television channels interviews on tourism in our country. It seems everyone in China is interested in our tourism," said Kaseke.

He said there were��however, concern on Zimbabwe's pricing system and that should be compatible with the new market.

Other African countries exhibiting at the mart, one of the world's biggest travel and tourism extravaganza, are Egypt, Mauritius, New Guinea and South Africa.

Source: Xinhua